Irrfan Khan nominated for 2008 Spirit Awards

The prestigious 2008 Spirit Awards, precursor to the Oscars, have been announced. And much to Bollywood's surprise, among the independent films and their makers from across the world in line for this honour, is our Irrfan Khan!

He rubs shoulders in the Best Supporting Actor category with the likes of Steve Zahn, Marcus Carl Franklin and Kene Holliday.

Irrfan has been nominated for his performance as Tabu's silently progressive husband in The Namesake. Now the buzz is that Irrfan will also be nominated for an Oscar!

Speaking from New York, Irrfan could barely contain his surprise.

"Mira Nair got the Gotham Award and I was there to watch this historic moment. Barely 24 hours later comes this announcement about me. The Spirit Awards to me is every bit as prestigious as the Oscars.

But unlike the Oscars, they are totally independent and based entirely on merit rather than lobbying. I'm honoured to be alongside Don Cheadle, Frank Langella and Philip Seymour Hoffman (all nominated in the Best Actor category)."